Remembering Indianapolis, 1963

I don't have any pictures of Indianapolis from the early 1960's yet so these two from 1940 will have to do.



Here is one of those cute anonymous things that sometimes show-up in my mailbox. Since I remember 1963 pretty well, I thought it was more interesting than these sometimes are.

This is the city: Indianapolis, Indiana. The year ~ 1963.

• A McDonalds hamburger, fries, and large Coke: 45 cents. At Burger chef; cheeseburger, fries, and a large Coke; 50 cents. (The Big Chef would not appear until 1966.)
• A Big Chief, onion rings, and a Chocolate Coke at the TeePee drive-in; $1.20.
• Frisch's Big Boy platter and a drink were $1.35.
• A gallon of City Service Ethyl was 26 cents.
• A pack of Lucky Strikes cost 20 cents (25 cents out of a cigarette machine).
• Movies at a downtown theater (Circle, Lyric, Lowes, > Indiana, or Keith) 50 cents (before 6 PM ).
• City bus fare was 20 cents. (2 cents more for a transfer).
• Monthly phone bill: $4.95 (average). "Information" was free.
• P. O. P. (Pay One Price) all day rides at Riverside Amusement Park, $1.00.
• A day of swimming at Longacre Pool, 35 cents. (But you could go to the Garfield Park pool for 15 cents.)
• Pay (Indiana Bell) telephones were black and "boxey" in brown booths, (ashtray equipped) with cushioned seats and sliding glass doors. A call would cost you 10 cents, but a call to the operator or Information would send your dime clanging back into the coin return. Were there still party lines?
• Copy of The Indianapolis Times newspaper, 7 cents.
• You could smell Wonder bread baking all over the city.
• Half gallon of milk, 25 cents.
• Bouncin' Bill Baker was spinning the platters on WIBC.
• The "Emperor" and Jackson "Q" Sundae and Jay Reynolds were two? of the WIFE Good Guys.
• Selwin was hosting the Saturday afternoon Tarzan movies on WISH-TV Ch. 8
• Sammy Terry was giving us all "pleasant nightmares" on WTTV, Channel 4. Wilhelmina followed Sammy with an even worse movie!
• Happy Herb brought us Popeye cartoons from the "poop deck" studio prop at Ch. 4. Cowboy Bob was still in college; Janie was a Ch 4 "intern."
• David Letterman was a student at Broad Ripple High School.
• Jane Pauley was a student at Warren Central.
• Harlow Hickenlooper and Curley Meyers kept us laughing with the 3 Stooges on Saturday mornings (Ch. 6, at 9:00)
• Dick Summers hosted the Teen Dance Party on Ch. 8. You could do the twist at Fox's Skating Rink, or at The Whiteland Barn.
• Herman Hoglebogle was fixing problems for readers of The Indianapolis News. (Herman was created by Tom Johnson, a graduate of Broad Ripple High School 1951).
• The Hinkle Fieldhouse, the State Fair Coliseum, and Clowes Hall were the Biggest, the best, and considered "state of the art.
• "Debbie Drake was leading the morning exercises on Ch. 8. Jack LaLane was doing the same on Ch. 6.
• Frances Farmer hosted the Channel 6 late afternoon movie on WFBM TV (6).
• Ruth Lyons 50 / 50 Club took up 2 hours from 12 Noon to 2:00 PM on WLW-I Ch. 13.
• There were no Country music radio stations in town.
• There were many German language radio programs but no Spanish language stations. FM was strictly for classical or "show tunes."
• You could live in Marion County, but not be a resident of the city of Indianapolis.
• 38th Street was the line between the "haves" (North) and the "have nots" (South).
• Greenwood was considered to be a "hick" town.
• Castleton was a gas station.
• Fishers was a train depot.
• Carmel was a truck stop on Rt. 31.
• Avon was a red flashing stop signal along Rt. 36.
• Eagle Creek was just THAT!
• The "max" was dinner at the King Cole Restaurant, and a show at the Embers on the North Meridian"strip" of upscale night life.
• "Dream proms" were held at the Indiana Roof, and dinner at the Key West Shrimp House o r at Brody's". (21st &Arlington), or the Fireside steakhouse.
• Greyhound and Trailways buses came and went from the Traction Terminal (old Interurban) shed on W. Market Street. You could catch a train to Chicago about once every hour at Union Station.....($12.00 round trip)!
• You could fly out on a TWA or PanAm "jet" airliner at "Weir Cook Municipal Airport."
• You got your prescriptions filled at Hooks, Haags, or Rexall drug stores.
• You got groceries at Kroger, A & P, Standard, or Marsh supermarkets. (or at Porky Lane).
• Interstate 465 was a short 4 lane "highway" that served only to connect you to the "big" State and National Routes
• No cable
• No Internet
• No self-serve
• No drive-thrus
• No ATM's.

Times sure have changed in forty short years! Have fun remembering....